The Past Two Years
by Honestly.Living
Summary: Maya could remember it as clear as day. All of it. The ups, the downs, the tears but yet she still loved him. The past two years of her life had been a whirlwind. She discovered love, loss, and everything in between. There was one thing through all of it that she continuously went back to- him.
1. First Meeting

Maya could remember it as clear as day. All of it. The ups, the downs, the tears but yet she still loved him. The past two years of her life had been a whirlwind. She discovered love, loss, and everything in between. There was one thing through all of it that she continuously went back to- _him_.

Oh, she certainly could never forget him. It was because of him she knew what true genuine love was, but let me stop before I get ahead of myself. Allow me to tell you the story. This story, a personal one in fact but first we have to start at the beginning.

* * *

Freshman Year 2016

* * *

The sun was hot and bright on the first day of school in this Georgia town and Maya Hart was not having it. "You know what Riles? It's one thing that we have to start school at the very end of July but who the hell has the first day of school on a Thursday?"

"Language," Riley warned as she walked by Maya's side to their bus stop. Riley too wasn't a big fan of the heat but she loved school so she of course didn't mind. "Besides, its our very first day of high school! Can you please be more excited? For me?"

Maya stopped walking and looked over at her best friend's face. Sighing, she readjusted her backpack and kicked the ground. "Fine," she mumbled. "But if anyone tries talking to me today I'm going to pretend like I don't speak English."

Riley laughed and draped her long, lanky arm around her best friend. "Whatever you say Maya. Now come on before we miss the bus!"

* * *

Maya walked into her homeroom class that morning and felt practically naked without her best friend at her side. Everything just felt different. This was a whole new school. She could count all the people she knew on one hand. She sat down quietly in one of the very few empty seats left in the classroom and looked around the classroom. Everyone looked different to her. So many people, so many different faces. Her eyes quickly glossed around everyone, even a certain brunette who she didn't yet know but would soon come to know.

The day went by pretty quickly. Lunch was crowded, yet uneventful and Maya couldn't seem to find her best friend throughout all of it. Luckily, right after lunch she had her last class of the day. Oddly enough, Research, which was a requirement for the school. Finding her best friend, Maya sat down in the second row of the class. As everyone around her talked and buzzed excitedly, she laughed and joked around with Riley.

Suddenly, Maya felt a tap on her right shoulder. She turned and instantly smiled. "Howdy cowboy," she greeted.

Lucas rolled his eyes and sat down next to her. "Nice to see you too Maya. Is Farkle in this class too? I haven't seen him at all today."

"I think so. I took a glance at his schedule earlier. I just don't know where he is," she answered while looking around.

Making his usual grand entrance Farkle quickly rushed into the classroom and found Riley and began talking a million miles a minute. Maya and Lucas laughed and carried on talking until the guy in front of Maya turned around and started talking to Lucas. "Hey Lucas did you hear what True was saying about Maxwell's class?"

Lucas laughed and immediately began conversation with the guy in front of him. "Yeah she was wild man."

Their conversation lasted a few minutes until Lucas pulled Maya back in. "Doesn't he sort of look like that guy from that Spanish cartoon that was on TV a few years ago?"

Maya laughed and shook her head as she looked at the guy in front of her. She cocked her head to the side and scrunched her eyebrows together. "Nah. I don't see it."

The guy laughed and hit Lucas' shoulder. "Thank you! See Lucas? You should have your eyes checked." He looked towards Maya and laughed. "What's your name by the way?"

Maya was taken aback for a moment before she answered. She hadn't expected him to ask for her name. "Maya," she answered. "You?"

"Josh."

Class went on and Maya learned what she needed to know, but that same night when Maya lay her head down to rest, maybe there was a sign she didn't see or something, but little did she know that on July 28, 2016 she'd met the guy who would change everything.

* * *

 _Note From the Author:_

 _Hey Guys! Its me ! I just want to take a moment and say thank you for reading this story. This is my own personal story of my life over the past two years and I hope you enjoy reading it. It is very real and very honest and if you want to know about the true story behind just DM me and check my profile for as to why I decided to write this in this fandom. Again, thank you so much!_

 _\- Stay Safe,_


	2. Early Beginnings

Maya drummed her fingers on the desk out of boredom. She watched and watched that stupid ticking clock at the front of the classroom as the last person went through their presentation. "Bored?" Lucas whispered in her ear.

Maya looked at him out of the corner of her eye and laughed. "Is it that obvious?" she asked.

Lucas nodded and grinned. "Well you're you and I'm pretty sure we're on our hundredth presentation today."

The teachers voice brought Maya and Lucas out of their conversation. "Alright guys that was our last presentation. We have about ten minutes before the bell rings so just chill out for a bit."

The light buzz of chatter came to life in the classroom as Maya immediately started a conversation with her friends. "Hey guys so I was thinking we start a group chat for this class," Lucas began. "You know remind each other of assignments and stuff."

Riley looked back at Farkle and nodded her head. "Yeah I can agree to that. What about you guys?" she looked towards Maya and Farkle.

Farkle nodded and looked over at Maya. "Yeah," she began. "I'm in. I could definitely use the help."

Over hearing the tail end of the conversation, Josh turned around and spoke to the small group. "You guys mind if I get in on this chat? I could really use it."

"Sure thing man," Lucas said as he took out his phone and started to create the chat. He looked at everyone else and introduced him. "Guys, this is Josh. Josh, this is everyone."

Soon enough, the entire group started speaking. They just had a quiet conversation and waited for the bell to ring. Right before the bell rang, Farkle pulled up this really unflattering picture of Maya on his phone. "Hey Maya," he laughed. "Remember this? When you had that breakdown over the noodles!"

Maya's jaw dropped. "Oh no! Farkle I thought I told you to delete those pictures!"

Maya reached out for his phone but couldn't as Farkle had moved it out of her reach. "Nope! These are perfect blackmail pictures," he grinned.

Maya rolled her eyes and got up as she heard the bell ring. Walking out to the buses she opened up that group chat they made for that class and texted.

 _Maya: We DO NOT speak of those pictures! Okay guys?_

Not even a moment later, Josh texted back in the chat saying,

 _Josh: What pictures? I think I should see them if I'm not supposed to talk about them._

Thinking for only a moment, Maya clicked on Josh's number and started typing,

 _Maya: Alright look Matthews, if I send you these pictures we DO NOT speak of them._

He didn't reply.

* * *

Maya lay down on her bed trying to figure out the homework she was doing. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair and groaned out loud. Placing her head on top of her open textbook. "My brain is going to melt from all this work," she mumbled.

A sudden chime from her phone brought her out of her homework driven despair. Thinking it was Riley, Maya lifted her head up and tapped to see her lock screen. Blinking several times, Maya didn't quite understand why Josh was texting her. Sure, they had a conversation earlier but conversations with people you don't really know end abruptly all the time.

Unlocking her phone, Maya quickly read Josh's message.

 _Josh: Hey sorry my phone is really weird and deletes my messages before I even get a chance to read them. I honestly can't even remember what we were talking about, but I heard you have Reynolds for science. Did you get to the post lab from our lab today?_

Maya wasn't used to getting texts from people that weren't Riley but who could it hurt making a new friend right? Rolling over on her back, she began to text him back.

 _Maya: That is pretty weird huh? And yeah I did. It was actually pretty easy. It's the math that's going to kill me._

Maya oddly enough stared at the phone waiting for his reply and smiled slightly as she got one.

 _Josh: Don't I know it. I'm on the last question of the post lab._

Maya doesn't know what came over her, but she took a moment to look out her window and noticed the sky setting into these beautiful array of colors. Looking back at her phone she typed something that was so unlike her.

 _Maya: Do you ever get super stressed sometimes? Like I can literally look up at the sky and feel all my worries melt away._

Maya watched as those little dots appeared on her screen as he began typing. Feeling anxious because she said something that was very out of character for her, she smiled when she saw his reply.

 _Josh: Of course._

Right after he sent that, Maya received a picture of the sky right outside his house. Smiling, she got up and took a picture out of her window too.

 _Maya: There you go. Now we both have different skies to look at. :)_

The texting didn't stop there. They texted for quite a bit. Maya found herself enjoying talking to him. It was weird, she normally only talked to Riley outside of school, and as the night went on he did something very weird. Something Maya hadn't even done with Riley. Staring at her phone in the darkness of her room, she lied down in her bed and read his text.

 _Josh: Goodnight Maya._

* * *

It was a Saturday night and Maya had been texting Josh later and later into the night. Coming up with an idea she texted him.

 _Maya: Alright. We should play a game._

 _Josh: What kind of game?_

 _Maya: A fun one. Twenty Questions._

 _Josh: Alright. I'll bite. You start._

Maya smirked and quickly typed her first question.

 _Maya: Favorite color?_

 _Josh: Orange. You?_

 _Maya: Blue. Your turn._

 _Josh: First kiss?_

Of course Josh couldn't see it, but Maya was blushing on her end.

 _Maya: I haven't had it yet. You?_

 _Josh: Samantha W._

 _Maya: Biggest Fear? Mine is ladybugs lol._

What Josh said next is what Maya really wanted to say but was too afraid to say out loud. He began to say the things that she wish she had the strength to.

 _Josh: Leaving my loved ones too soon._

Maya sat up on her bed and stared at her phone screen. "Whoa," she breathed. They continued texting well into the night. Continuing the game, they learned more about each other and just absentmindedly grew closer.

* * *

 _Maya's laughter filled the air as she walked alongside Josh outside. "Totally," Maya agreed._

 _They walked hand in hand and walked past an ice cream shop. "Want some ice cream?" Josh asked._

 _Maya smiled and nodded. "For sure."_ _They walked inside and got ice cream and sat outside while eating it. It was silent, but a comfortable silence. Behind Maya a car pulled onto the pavement. "Who is that?"_

 _"My parents," Josh answered. "I guess its time for me to go."_

 _Maya and Josh stood up and stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. "Yeah. My mom will be here in a minute too."_

 _In that moment, they just stared at each other and were oddly content. Not a moment later, they kissed. The gap between them was closed and Maya's heart started to beat extremely fast._

* * *

Maya woke up breathing heavily. She looked over at her clock and held her chest as it moved up and down. Her forehead was sweaty and her blonde hair was sticking to it. Thinking back to her dream she laid back down on her bed slowly. "Oh no," she whispered. "I think I like him."

Maya was right. She does, but she could never begin to image what he would end up meaning to her.


End file.
